As we know New Year is a time to make promises that you hope to keep but rarely do. So it was with New Year 2024 that pitch guru John Andison promised us a game despite the forecasts of Michael Fish, and as usual John was right for the 85th year in a row and Michael was looking for a new career. When the teams lined up it was a throwback to a resolution made 510 years ago as the bigger Hexham raiders resolved to plunder the spoils of the smaller, younger Teris. However, history has a habit of repeating and the Hawick lads fought from start to finish much harder and with more heart and so carried the victory flag home back up the banks of the Teviot. For coach Landels, declaring that his New Year’s resolutions were to ensure that his charges did not lose this whole year and that his daughters ended up with rugby players as handsome as he, the year has begun well.
The visitors started brightly but were soon on the back foot after the 2024 predictable resolution of young Fergus Bell was answered as he scored the first of a brace of tries on the day as he has clearly resolved to score just as many tries in 24 as he did in 23. Talking of a brace, the club are deeply indebted to Fergus’s dad Adam for reducing the washing up bill as his brace of platefuls of Debbie’s finest fayre ensured that her ashet of grub was almost licked clean. As metronomic as a ringing of the Ne’erday bells up stepped the golden boot-come-wand of Bailey Donaldson to stroke over the extras just as he did with another conversion today also to meet his resolution to spend at least one profitable day 22 miles outside the muckle toon every week. Resolutions are obviously there to be broken and the Force’s formidable front row of Messrs MacLeod, Graham and Murray all intended to improve their sidesteps this year. However, none of these buxom lads have clearly been able to shimmy past the fridge or the bar yet. However, that stood them in good stead to push their opponents’ scrum around Mansfield Park.
Before the team from Hexham had time to strike back the Hawick captain burst on to the ball to plunge over for the hosts’ second try. Sam Frizzel seems to have adopted the same two resolutions this year as he did last namely to make it virtually impossible for SDU selectors not to name him South captain and to try to grow a moustache. By half time the proud Teries were 14 points up and well in control of the match against a Tynedale side being mentored, for the first time, by former England star Dean Richards. Richards of course is best known for bringing Scott MacLeod in at Newcastle as lineout coach and since Scotty has been helping out at the Greens this season that set piece has improved markedly. In the lineout Blane Halfpenny shone in the winter’s fading sunlight disclosing a clear resolution to never take a backward step on the rugby
pitch.
Early in the second half Tynedale scored their only try using their obvious brawn to good effect. They scored quickly but only briefly did they threaten to add to their 7 points. Once more on the banks of the Teviot the representatives of Hexham Abbey would come up short. Fin Douglas set out the year with a resolution to get his photo in the paper with his famous grandparents instead of his ginger cousins and with a hard running and hard tackling performance plus a try he is certainly attracting attention. Whether the Hawick Paper Editor thinks he is as photogenic as his scalped cousin Gareth remains to be seen. Talking of those cousins they were able to witness the 2nd half here (along with many other 1st team players) when their bus returned from an unnecessary trip to Currie. The Edinburgh based side are rumoured to have started a late New Year’s resolution to buy a tv and check the weather forecast every Saturday from now on. There was a fine crowd down to witness this entertaining game, and every one of them will resolve to come back this Friday night when the League Champion Force side welcome Peebles in the cup.
Donaldson had added a penalty goal before Bell’s second touchdown and that stretched the Force’s lead well beyond the ability of the English raiders to recover. Tynedale seconds are called the ‘Hadrians’ but Robbie Linton felled the sycamore sized visitors with relentless tackling aided by some determined defence from Justin Tait and James Delaney. There was much to like about wing play in both attack and defence from Sean McMichan that sparkled like the glass of bubbly he later shared with his equally talented sprinting brother as both resolved to get even faster this year.
This was a really encouraging performance from the whole side who quickly cast off New Year hangovers to register a hard fought win in chilly conditions. Hadrian built his wall to keep out the Scots and so Tynedale learned that staying on the southern side is a far easier option as they were sent homeward to think again. Last word to perhaps man of the match Keith Davies whose New Year resolution came true as indeed he did play on into his 50th year. He declared later to be as stiff and sore as his prize tup after a month on the job.